Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-01-15
TWO INVENTIONS A WEEK.
THAT rs THE AVERAGE FOR WHICH
ONE MAN SEEKS PATENTS.

Millionairc Westinghouse and His
Pecuii6ritles-Bfrs. Westinghouse
and Her Lavish Expenditures.
Edison has, in the opinion Of many,
been cclipscd by tho versatility of q
Pittsburg genius, says a letter from that
city in the Chicago Tribune. The one
name that is more familiar, perhaps, than
all others in the patent Office at Washing
ton City, is that of Mr.. George Westing-
house, the millionaire inventor whose
wonderful workshops make up at least
one-twelfth of the industries of this city.
His air brake made him famous several
years ago. But it is since then that his
inventive mind has been moro prolific.
For the last year his patents taken out in
the government Office have averaged two
a weck-all of them of the most valuable
kind. OF man whose ability to invent
can stand such q constant drain; whose
inventions require the constant employ
ment of 5000 men to manufacture;
whose profits from his various patents
have swollen to between $4,000, 900 and
5000. 600 in decade of years-many
interesting stories can be told.
Last week one Of Mr.. Westinghouse's
clerks, John Sprage by name, struck
novel idea to break the intensity Of the
incandescent electric light. 1t was to
simply have the egg shaped globe made
of heavy wavy glass. Mr.. Westinghouse
happened to notice the experiment,
quickly recognized the utility of the con-
triyance, and gave Sprage II, 900 for his
idea. OF course in this way Mr.. West
inghouse has bought up a number of
small patents which appear to the public
as his own, but the great majority of
most important inventions are in three
lines-viz. the air brake for locomo
tves and switch and signal apparatus,
safety appliance for natural gas, high
speed engines and dynamos for the man
ufacture OF clectric-light. The King of
Belgium recently sent Mr.. Westinghouse
bundle of parchment stamped with
gold and scarlet seals and bound with
yards of tape, in which the inventor
found himself titled for life as ''Sir
knight George Westinghouse, T" he being
knighted for the many lives saved
through the instrumentality of his air
brake. Workshops to make the brake
are maintained in Pittsburg, Paris, and
Berlin. Almost every railroad operating
in the United States, Europe.on the Con-
tinent, in the countries of the Orient or
the Occident, pay Mr.. Westinghouse
royalty for the use of his way of utilizing
air. It will thus be seen that his profits
from this source are princely. No other
man in the United States can show the
name of every railroad on the pages of
his ledger as debtors.
Mrs. Westinghouse is one of the re-
markable women of Pennsylvania. She
spends money with lavish hand to at
tain her happiness. Among the pur-
chases her husband once made was
crcam-colorcd horse with beautiful
white name and tail. Mrs. Westing-
house went into ecstacics over the ami
NAL. She wanted a mate for it. None
could be found in Pittsburg. So she
hired trustworthy man and sent him
out to search for the mate of the cream
colored morse. He was to travel until he
found it. This took him year, but he
came back with the exact mate. No
prettier team was ever seen on the streets
OF Pittsburg Than those two horses. A
short time afterwards one of them died
Mrs. Westinghouse grief was uncon-
trollable. She engaged taxidermist at
an extravagant price and had her dead
pet stuffed. Hoofs of solid silver were
placed upon his feet, and the whole,
fastened to an elegant mahogany bed,
now stands in the stables beside the live
mate. They nre there to day and can
be seen by visitors to Homewood, the
name Of the inventors splendid palace.
It is related of Mrs. Westinghouse that
on another occasion she was conspicuous
in an equally prodigious expenditure of
money. It was while she was slmmering
at the Kaaterskill Hotel. on the top OF
the mountains, that she gave splendid
reception. 1t was over at last and she
was about to retire in the morning when
she was struck by the weary, haggard
looks OF a,l the servants who had been
compelled to do extra work on her ac-
count. Her generous heart responded,
and she felt for her purse to reward them.
1t had been left in her room, and so GO
ing to the clerk of the hotel she reques-
ted the loan of 81, 500 until morning. 81
have only got $I,100 here" replied the
clerk. well, give me that" said the
dashing woman. And this whole sum
she is reported to have thrown around
among the servants.
There is at present being built at Pull
man, Ill, magnificent private car for
Mrs. Westinghouse. She travels great
deal, and her husband proposes to have
something for her that will outrival in
elegance the cars of Pullman, Wander
bilt. or Gould. Only the other day Will
liam Timmins, laboring-man, invented
q new kind Of brake for railroad trains.